Billy Jeffers: Rockers of Steel (26 page)

As I walk out of the bank with everything I asked for, my phone rings.

“Billy, this is Dave. The transfer went through. Go give those boys their checks, son, and try to breathe a little easier. You’ll be fine.”

“Thank you.” I hang up the phone with my lawyer and look up at the sky. Then I laugh when I look at my new ride. A jet black Jeep Wrangler is no BMW, but it is mine, and I hate owing money to anyone.

Before the lawyer’s appointment, I traded down. The dealership was very happy to hand me a check for sixty thousand dollars and a new Jeep and gain a hundred-thousand-dollar vehicle. When they asked me to sign the dash in metallic silver Sharpie, I knew that, if what Madison thinks is true, it is a very profitable investment for them.

It’s a good day.

My lawyer has five hundred ninety-two thousand dollars from the transfer and sixty thousand from the sale of my SUV. Six hundred fifty-two thousand dollars fucking gone. With the sale of my place, I will literally piss away nine hundred two thousand dollars. It isn’t a million, but it is close.

After making a deposit at Sun Bank for my sometimes very sweet and sometimes a complete brat, I head back to Forever Four in hopes of catching my bandmates.

As luck would have it, they are still there.

“May I see you guys in the conference room for just a minute?”

“Everything okay?” Finn asks, patting my back as he walks past me.

“Yeah, all is well.”

I see Madison peek around the corner, all smiles and giving me the thumbs up. I nod once then walk in behind them, shutting the door.

“This shouldn’t take long.” I open the leather folder and pull out the envelopes with each of their names on it and hand it to them. “I know you invested money with my father, and honestly, I am a little pissed off that you didn’t ask me about it first.”

“Dude, you’re like Superman—two identities. We know this isn’t your dream, but you’re still here.” Memphis chuckles.

“I haven’t figured out if it was for the ass or me.” River smiles.

“Ass, definitely the ass.” Finn smirks.

“Right, anyway. Lucky for you, your investment is back. Unlucky for you, there wasn’t a dime made on your investments. My father is not a good businessman. I am asking—no, fuck that—I am
telling
you right now that I know my shit when it comes to investing. I learned from the best, but he has changed, and I am forbidding any of you to
ever
do business with him again. Actually, I am forbidding any of you to invest a fucking dime unless you ask me.”

“I think we just got wifed.” Memphis snorts.

“He said it was risky. We knew we would probably lose money, but we also knew it was your dream, man. You stuck with us; we stick with you,” Finn says.

“Say it,” Memphis says to Finn.

“Say what?”

“Forever Steel,” Memphis whispers dramatically.

“Fine, Forever Steel,” Finn mimics.

We all laugh, knowing Finn used to get annoyed by the phrase.

“Yeah, well, we knew that you were hiding the computer screen and spending all that time in your room alone. I was sure you were watching porn.” River snickers. “But, hell, I guess to each their own.”

There is a knock on the door, and I look back at a very pissed off Madison Black.

Well, fuck.

The door opens.

“You have a call,” she tells me.

“Will you take a message please, Madison?” I even smile, hoping to calm her down.

It doesn’t.

“It’s the bank,” she hisses at me, and yep, it’s hot.

“Take a message, Madison,” I respond.

“They say it’s urgent.”

“I’m sure it can wait until I’m done here.”

“Well, it can’t!”

“Holy shit, Mads,” Memphis gasps. “What the hell has gotten into you?”

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to, man.” River guffaws.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” comes out in a Memphis/Madison duet.

“Shut up, River.” Finn smacks his knee jokingly, and then his eyes meet mine.

Well, fuck again.

Madison looks at me. “You have a call. Go take it.”

I walk toward the door, and she pushes by me. Once she is out, I shut the door and lock it behind her.

She starts pounding on the door like the child she is—can be. Fuck, I don’t know, but she is acting like an ass.

I turn around and give her a nasty look. She gives me a look as if to challenge then walks away. I know damn well what the call was that pissed her off, and it was not for me. It was the bank telling her I deposited the money back in her account. However, now is not the time to deal with her attitude about that.

I turn around and look at Memphis. “Your sister is pushing buttons.”

“Yeah, she does that. I wonder if, when her ass bounced off the ground, it affected her head.” Everyone laughs, and then he looks at me. “She is my sister, though, so ease up on her. I don’t wanna have to kick your ass.”

“I think she could take him,” River says with a sly-ass smile.

“Probably.” Memphis snickers.

“I’d never hit a girl,” I comment, looking at all of them.

The door opens, and she walks in, swinging a key on her finger.

“You have a call,” she repeats, walking by me. “Memphis, I wanted to tell you, I have a photo shoot in my underwear with two”—she holds up her fingers—“men on Saturday, so if you had anything planned for me, I’m busy.”

“The fuck you do.” Memphis looks at her in confusion. He’s pissed, but not as pissed as me. “Mads, you clearly need some help. Even though I may have been fucking around the … oh, I don’t know, million times I have asked you to consider taking medication for the epic mood swings you have, if this shit keeps up, I am gonna have to insist.”

You know those moments you do something and you wish you hadn’t? I have very few of those.

Everything is planned to almost perfect precision, but for some reason, I chose to not just
throw
caution to the wind by putting her money in her account, knowing it would piss her off, but I did it at the wrong damn time. And now it’s like I pitched a hundred and ten mile an hour fastball just for her to slam it out of the park. Meaning, she is going to pull some shit on purpose.

Madison grins evilly at me, and then her brother. “I fucked them both already, so don’t worry about it.” She shrugs. “Damage done.”

Finn’s head is buried in his shirt, and River’s face is covered by his hoodie. Both their shoulders are shaking, and I know they are laughing.

This shit is not funny.

“Madison, I think that’s enough.” I grab her elbow.

She jerks it away. “YOU HAVE A CALL!”

“And you have got to be kidding me right now!”

Tales runs in and looks at her and then looks at Memphis, whose face is fifty shades of purple.

“Tales, get her home before I kick her ass,” Memphis growls at her.

“You’re not going to kick her ass.” I may have growled back, but I smile when he looks at me.

“Everything okay?” Xavier walks in and sits, throwing his feet up on the table.

“Yes,” I answer.

“No!” the duet chimes in.

“Well, I think open lines of communication are a good thing. Let’s keep it going, shall we?” Xavier is fucking taunting me.

“Mr. Steel.” The temp receptionist walks in, carrying a bag of microwave popcorn.

“It’s Xavier,” he corrects her. “And thank you. I love popcorn and a show.”

Finn and River get up, walk over, and sit on each side of him, still chuckling.

“Did I miss the good part?” X asks them.

I point at him. “You’re not helping.”

“
Me
?” All three of them ask, pointing to themselves.

“Take her home, Tales; she’s all fucked up,” Memphis repeats, trying to keep calm.

“I’m not fucked up, Memphis.” She literally stomps her foot then rubs her ass.

“Then tell me what the hell crawled up your ass.” Memphis looks exasperated.

The Three fucking Stooges start laughing, and then, bingo! Memphis looks me in the eye and freezes.

“Madison, why don’t you let Tales take you home?” I suggest.

“Oh, hell no.” Memphis shakes his finger in the air and points at me. “Oh, hell no,” he repeats then bites his fist before releasing it. “Tales, take my baby sister, who”—he pauses and bares his teeth while looking at me—“is a fucking baby, home!”

“A baby like Tales, right?” Xavier throws a piece of popcorn in the air and catches it in his mouth.

“No,” he gasps. “No, not at all like Tales! Madison is … She’s my baby sister who clearly”—he points at her—“is immature, insane, and fucking unstable.”

“Fuck you, Memphis!” pops out of her mouth.

“She has lived a sheltered life,” he says, pacing. “She needs guidance. She has no fucking clue what she is doing with her life.” He stops and points at me. “You!”

“Your sister is actually very intelligent and knows exactly what she wants to do with her life. It just changes more often than most people.” I glance over at her to see she is looking at me with adoration. “Which absolutely works for her.”

“If you’re trying to get laid, use that line on someone else!” Memphis yells.

“Spoiler alert.” River chuckles.

Memphis looks around, gasps, and points to Madison. “Are you fucking him?”

She gives him a face only a little sister would give a brother to antagonize him. I expect her to stick her tongue out, and when she doesn’t, I am slightly disappointed.

“If I was, I couldn’t tell you,” she says.

“And what in the fuck does that mean? Never mind. Home, Tales, we’re taking her to the fucking nut ward. And you”—he points to me—“should go to jail for banging her.”

“You two could share a cell.” Finn snorts, and Xavier gives him a fist bump.

“I am gonna kick your ass.” Memphis points at me again. “I am going to tear off your head. Mads, tell me this is some sort of joke.”

“Madison, could you please give me and your brother a few minutes—”

“Fuck that, I’m out! You fuckers, all of you, have been watching my little sister getting…” He stops and shrugs. “I fucking quit.” He throws his hands in the air and starts toward the door.

“Oh, no, you sit right here and make this about you, super star,” Madison smarts off to him. “I take the dramatic exits in this family. You just shine, big brother. Just. Fucking. Shine.” She walks to the door and looks at me. “I didn’t break a promise; don’t you, either.”

“You did good, Madison.” Without thinking, I kiss her.

Memphis roars, and Madison smiles, then turns around.

She points at Memphis. “You be nice. I think I love him.”

Well fuck.

“You’re a dead man,” he sneers. “See what you have done to her?”

“Oh, back off. He is afflicted by me.” She turns and looks at me. “I’m pissed at you still.”

I nod. “You’ll get over it. You think you love me?”

She shrugs, “Seven?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“If I wanna come earlier, I will. I made a key, remember?” She grins.

I laugh and push her toward the door. “Go.”

When she leaves, I look at Memphis. I am pissed.

“You and I need to talk.” I look around the room. “Alone.”

When they leave, he turns around, glaring at me.

“It’s not a smart move to be in here alone with me.”

I sit down and look at him. “I could say I never meant for it to happen, but in reality, from the day she walked into the Miami house, I avoided it for you. I’m not avoiding it anymore. So if you wanna hit me, take your best shot. I’ll only give you one, though.”

“You stupid fuck!” He lunges.

I am pissed at him, so pissed he didn’t keep the money. I want to help him, and well, everything is not out in the open, so I still can. As mad as I am, I am now swooning over him all over again. But I don’t like sitting back and doing nothing. I already have something else in the works, and now I have the chance to do it without him being able to do a damn thing about it.

After I left work then the bank, Tales called me, crying.

“You’re such a bitch!”

I nearly died. She has never called me anything like that.

“Well, thank you, Tales. Give me another jab, would you?” I chuckle.

“It’s not funny! Why did you lie to me? How many times have I asked you if something was going on and you said no? I am so pissed at you right now.”

“I never lied. Nothing was going on until … well, a week ago.”

“They’re in the conference room alone,” she whispers.

“I’m sure they have a lot to talk about.” I try to stay calm for her, but I know my brother, and he can be an ass.

“Oh, wait, oh! Oh! Oh, dear. Oh—”

“What’s going on?” I ask.

“They’re fighting, I think. Lots of noise. Lots and lots of noise. Oh, no,” she says.

“Who’s winning?”

“Are you serious right now, Madison? My gosh.” She sighs. “Okay, it’s over.”

“What! That was quick. Is there any blood?”

“I have to go,” she says.

“Great talk. Chat later.” I hang up.

The phone rings twenty minutes later, and I answer without looking to see who it is.

“Did you have to blindside me, Mads?”

“Oh, hey, Memphis, how are you? Still ready to have me committed because I’m fucking crazy?” I make sure I sound crazy, too.